The revelation by an influencer in China about her affair with a government official – who later dumped her to marry another mistress – has sparked an online storm.
It has also raised suspicions about the possible misuse of public funds and abuse of public power.
The scandal surfaced on October 22 when the woman, surnamed Ye, from Xiamen, Fujian province, southern China, revealed through a series of online posts that she had been involved in an affair with Zhong Shaozhen.
Born in 1987, Zhong is an official at Xiamen Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Detachment, which belongs to the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
In her posts, Ye said that she met Zhong in December 2022 and detailed how he supported her during tough times. After that, the two quickly fell in love and moved in together.
“At that time, I was unaware he was already married with two children and that he had a mistress who had been waiting for him for 10 years. But I became his fourth lover,” she wrote.